Osian's Auction Catalogue Masterpieces and Museum-Quality III | March 2004

152 OSIAN’S 71 SHIBU NATESAN (b.1966 / Trivandrum, Kerala) Futility of Device I Signed in English l.c. Oil and Aluminum Paint on canvas, 1995 182.5 x 212.5 cm (71.9 x 83.7 in) Rs. 400,000 – 500,000 US$ 8,900 – 11,100 GB£ 4,900 – 8,950 OSIANs S.I.R. ANALYSIS [1992–2003] Present Estimate 66.47 Previous Highs 494.45 [Os.Mum/27.11.03] 378.49 [Sa.On/16.05.02] Previous Average 91.73 Auction Average 289.84 Opinion Given the recent appreciation for Shibu Natesan’s work, this important work has a relatively low S.I.R. at 66.47. “ These paintings are landscape based but landscape (specifically panoramic space) is a vehicle for contextualising the work. When I look at an empty landscape I find that images arise associated with historical catastrophes that may have happened there. I feel that within the ‘air’ of these paintings there is a Sisyphean quality, a sense of ritualised devastation… In the recent series of work I had a very clear idea about the subject matter – this gave me a certain freedom to choose images from diverse sources. But all the objects used eg. lamps, helmets, mattress etc. were chosen because they are familiar to people and in that way can be easily read… These paintings refer to crucial historical events hidden by time; certain parts of history never come to the surface – these paintings attempt to articulate those hidden areas. When you look at these images they lead you to think about the past. At the same time that has connotations about our present situation. In general I am examining ideological transitions that occur throughout history.” (Shibu Natesan, in conversation with Alex Mathew, Bhupen Khakhar and Surendran Nair on his series entitled ‘ The Futility of Device ’, rpt. in Shibu Natesan –The Futility of Device EXC . Sakshi Gallery 1995.) Please refer to colour illustration of Lot 71 in Shibu Natesan – The Futility of Device EXC . Sakshi Gallery 1995.